New IB Math courses coming for the IB Class of 2021
Please see the program documentation for a discussion of the math curriculum changes effective
September 2019 for the IB Class of 2021.
The following chart summarizes the new courses and provides guidance in course selection:
New math course
starting in September
2019 for IB Class of
2021
Mathematics:
Applications and
interpretation
Mathematics: Analysis
and approaches
Course description
from IB
Approximate current
equivalent
Recommended prior
math background
This course is designed
for students who enjoy
describing the real
world and solving
practical problems
using mathematics,
those who are
interested in harnessing
the power of
technology alongside
exploring mathematical
models and enjoy the
more practical side of
mathematics.
STANDARD LEVEL
(SL):
STANDARD LEVEL
(SL):
This class is most
similar to the current
Mathematical Studies
SL course.
Strong Algebra 1 skills
HIGHER LEVEL
(HL):
Strong Algebra 2 skills
This course is intended
for students who wish
to pursue studies in
mathematics at
university or subjects
that have a large
mathematical content;
it is for students who
enjoy developing
mathematical
arguments, problem
solving and exploring
real and abstract
applications, with and
without technology.
STANDARD LEVEL
(SL):
STANDARD LEVEL
(SL):
This class is most
similar to the current
Mathematics SL
course.
Strong Algebra 2H
skills
HIGHER LEVEL
(HL):
This course will include
new content, including
statistics. It is intended
to meet the needs of
students whose interest
in mathematics is more
practical than
theoretical but seek
more challenging
content.
HIGHER LEVEL
(HL):
HIGHER LEVEL
(HL):
Very strong Algebra
2H skills
This class is most
similar to the current
Mathematics HL
course.
The following pages summarize the projected content of the new courses, extracted from DP
Mathematics Curriculum Review, April 2017.
The Content
The· ,:ont('n: is still 1.mdcr dc,-,l clopmc,nt 3nd items bf.'lo•N ma),· bC' subject to r.h5n,:ic whc·n
lief:' 9 uirJ;,,s ;.u e p ulili~h.,:<l:
M,·t llwmat i,~;: /\IMl,ro.;i~; a nd i1p p ro.1, 11P~
TI1..- nu m bl!'r a nd a lgebrai SL k>L)ks <1l: ~.:.: t'ulifo: 11r.1lclli,.111, ;u illuueLi,_i'lnd 9;,,(..)me l1i1.
s,:,qucncc$ ,m d s..:·riC$ and their applic,;:ior,$ indud·ng fin.and al applications, krN$ of
l119 ;uit !11ns ~md .;11p11111-mlidh:, , o h•irHJ t-.>:Jmt1?t1li;1I Hq1w lio 11<.; . simph; p1uol. ,111,:im:im,1liorn,
,:nd t.:m.)r~, a nd th ~· bino mid th,: or1.•m. Th,: n u mber <1nd a lgcbr.i Hl loo k:., al'.
p!'!mu1t., tk,r1r. ;md r.omhin.lti.)1"1", p,l rti,'tl fr,;i-t i,;nr.,. n -inl pl!'!'t nw nh,-.r-:,. ph-irli hy inrlu,·t io n,
, rn1hd<fo lio n ;uul , ow 1l+!1 ?:<m up!t". ;uul sd u t io u o l s·rst Hm \ o l limM1 i,;qn.1li1ms.
I h"" func t ions SL k1, >k:'i. .-i t: ~,111,1ti<Jll'- of ·=;t r,,ight lin~,;.,. \·,-in,~pt·; ,11, d p m p~r.ie; ,-if
luur. li;.ms ~n ;J l11;,,ir ~)l<SJ)hs, ind u <li111-J <.,; mpo~i!f:.', im1f:.'1s;,,, l11f:.' id f:.'n tily, n-1li<.H1d , l:')(f.>r..1111:n ti~I.
fogarichmic an,j qu-3dratic function:;, Sd ving eQuatiOn$ both an.l lyt:calli' and grJphicall;-.
;;nd tr,,ndnrrn,; t k i-n ,nf 9 r,1p h,. lh ~ fun ction s HL k ,\; k" ,1:: t hl"' fo d \; r ,m d r~ro;;inrJ~r
llt':'O''='HIS. w rm ;u 1<l p 1•.H.iu,.lsol rt.101..s vi p•.1ly11<.)111ia ls ra lior1~l lu11,: li1Jns. ud d <llld 'o''Jt'll
functions, ~ f-inversc function$. sol•: ir.g func:ion incqualitiC·$ and the· mcd'u u:; function.
I h~ g e ometry and t rigonomet l)' SL ln11k, .-it: ,•,-ihin· .,. ;ind ,urfo1·.t=, M <'!,"l o f :·M ~\-ilid-.. rig ht
e nq lr.-cl a n d , a-.10-li9h l ·a riq l'o'd l<i$iv 1to m ':"l1y ir,d ud iug b'='a 1i11!-JS a m.t <ll~t ~ •.11 l'l'='~·..:lir.111 <1nd
dcprc;;-s icn. radkm mca;;tirc·, the unit d rclc and Pythago-rc~n idc·ntity, double ,mg~c,
irl;~ntit:,?;;. for , in~ ,-in~ t",1:-inl"', f.n mrl\-i~itt=- ; ri9f'J1"l\; 1n * h'ir. li.ma inn~. :-nr•,i11r1t rignn(';rn~t rk
r.-q ua lious. Th'=' geom<lrtry and tr igonometry HL k)•.11:s & : rf:.'<.i r.nv r..a l l1i91; 11•.1we l, ic.: r<:1"Li•.1s.
invcr$C trigonometric function.$, compound angle idc·ntitics. double angle id<:·ntiW for
l;111y .-11L i,.) ·111111..;1, ;• p ..:;p.,d Ci,:.-.: o l 1ri9 0 110 111Hh i: un,plt-.. ·: ~: Im 1h.-111y, a ppli: ;J1io11-., .-,i,h
fi111.'!; ;;md µ li.m1.•:,, ,_, rid ·;<.·d •.11 ,.- 1!-Jc b rn.
n,.- sta t ist ics and probability SL lo ok<, a l: 1:011.-, 1i11~1 dald ;-111,I u...ill!J s.1mpli1tH t Hd u,iq ui-;s,
prcsc-1n in9 dat:: in graphical form, mca:;urc·s of cf.'ntral tc·ndcnc-1 and $pr.:-.:-d. corrd ation,
r~r1r~ >·;ion, <.,; lr:u lr.iting p r\-ibt1biliti~ ~.. p r.1b,1bi it; di,19 r-;un~, t h* 1, omMI d i, : rib ,t k i-n ', "·it h
s!a11<l..:1d iu ,lir.111 o l ,•ari~·IJl'='sc, .:ind l.11~ b i;i1Jm~1I 1.fo,ltiLu liou .
n,,. stati.s tics and p ro bability
HL look~ at S:;ycs tOc..,rcrn, prc babi i t)' di!.tribution:;, probabilit•/ dc-n.;;"1y function$.
n p~d ."ltion ,;!9 ~hr,1.
Th .- calculus SL loo ks al: iufw mal icl;.M, o l lim il<, ,md c:i111vt"11J HtH:+!, d ilhH<'lll~11 C
n 11
in, l11d i11lj ~maly':ing !Jlilfl liirnl h+!hm1im11 of fu rn IC
n m , find ill':} +!l jllilliuu-.,; ,ii norm" I" ;md
l<111~Jl:'11h: ,.)(Jlimix1liori, k·11r.-m.:iti1.~ i11vo'1till!-I ;,f o pl.:1r.f:'llll:'lll, ve k)r.ily .:1r;,.r.-ll:'1<1ti,.111 c111d lr.11.<11
d isl<1iu:..- laa1tellr.-cl, l h o:> d 1<1iu, f.>UJclui.'l .:irirJ q uo ti,..J1l 1•Jlr.-::., d l:'liuile a nd i11<l..-li11il':'
ilitcgra;:icn. The· a,lculus HL !ooh ,:,,c: imrodur.cion to <Olitinuit•/ arr.d difforcmk1bility.
COli'/ N~~1cc- ,:;nd divcrgc:ice, different iation frcm first principles. limit$ ,:;nd l 'l lopital's
rule. il'nplid c diffc-r¢ntiation. der;,.,.;itive:; of io•:ct::...c .ind rc,;:iprocal trigonomc·: ri<. funct ·oil$,
intcgr,;;:icn by subs:itution and pJrcs, vc-lum..:·s oi rc\·ol1Jtion, ·:;olution of fir:;t ordc-r
d ifft'!r,.::-n ti,; I P.qunrk,n, u;;ing t-ul~ ;; °'*thncl. hy ~1-pnmtir~g v,-ufo b!~:( ;md 1..:(n g th1i1;t*r,r,:;in9 fod or, M,;d ,·u irin ·;~ri:'! , .
Mathemat ics: Applicat ions and int erpretat ion
Ih"" nu m be r a n d a lgebl'a SL k>ol:·; ~;t: ~..-i:'!li r ifk n<",t.-1tion, ,-,,rith m~t k ,·rnd 9 ,.::-nm*tr·,
SH-fJ llHIH .;, ;uu l S<'Ii.;s a111l IhHir " Pl 1lii:;1liu w.,; in li11a,mn~ in, lud iu!J Im m 1 ?pd)'lfl+-!n ls, ':-irnp!t"
h f'il lr111-m l o l f,19 ;11 ilt1111<, ;in d .;11pu n+-!11li<1h . .,_in q ,1., p, oo l, i1pp io:<imt1\ iu 111., <111<! t"UOI <,. Tl~
numbtor and alg • b ra Hl 1<.)rJk.::. .:1l: l.:i•, ,~ of ft;y-1.1ilh rm:, ,.r.1111p lt:.'x 11u 111b ;.,1s .-:nd l111:"i1
µ 1;,1<:li1.·c1l .-:1,1p li,.-1.tir.>11~. u a.1lli'l·~ .-:nd l111:"i1 ;,1pr.1,i1..-:lir.1m lvJ ~1.)l\-i11q ~y~l 'o'm~,; I r.-q u<1li1.111~. fv1
,:ioomctric tr.:lnsformations, and their applications to probab.litf.
I he funrt io ns SL loo~s Jt: acat ing. fittini;i end usin9 model~ with linear, cxponcncia~
n.3tur,;l logarithm, ..:ubic and simple trigonornctric f•Jnc:ions. I h..:· fun,tions HL looks at
U":'! ,,f ln~J 109 9 r,1plH, 9 r,1ph t;,;nd nm-~,1t'n n",· <.rP,"'lting, titting m1rl- 11:-in~J m o rli=,h with
fu riht-r tri~J,">n11m,.::-rrk~ kigr.rith ntk., rnr:,~h"'l1, k1,gi"tir. ,;nrJ p i..,.,·,:'!·Nl""" tun, ttnn;;.
Th .- geomet ry a n d trigonometry SL lnuh 011: vo~1Jtt1H ,md :-.-iu l,JC:~ <11.-!il o l ~d 1.,olid, . , iyh l
-1.nq lr.-d .:irid mm-1i!-Jh l· <1119tt:."d lai~1.t11r.1mt:l.ii~' iud udin!-1 b-.,c11i1l!,J'>,' ~-\11Ian: .:ir-=<1 e nd ',;'o l,1mt:.' v i
composite· 3d -;ol'd-;. estab!ishing- optimum positions ai\d paths using Voronoi d iaqrams.
The· geomet ry .:'I nd trigonometry Hl locks at: •1c-ctor concc-p!s and their a.pplico1ions in
kinematic$, appli..:ations of adj acen,.y inatri..:<!s, and -:re,,:, and cycle algorithms.
I h"" statist ics and prob.ab ility SL ln,-ih M : r.n ll~d in 9 tfa r,; ,1r111 1,.:c;i119 !-nm plin9 tH h niq u*~.
p r1-:-,.::-m i11r, d o"'ltn in r1r,: p hk ,;I fo rm,. m,.::-,1-.,ir*.:c; <,f <,:'!!1;rr.l ;,.::-nd,.::-r.r>' r.nd .:c;p r1-,1d . , ~; rr..,.l,1th1n
u ,_iri9 P,.;;u..,un', p sm fui I m om<'n l ;md ~p .;;um,111'1., lilllk c:1111 ;-l;1lim1H)f-!fl id t"n ls, 1H-:Jl<'\..'iim1,
c3!cuhning probabilities, probabi ir:-1 diaqrams. the· norma.l di!,tribution, Chi-$quarcd tcsc
for independence Jnd goodn..:·ss of fit. I he stoltistics and probilbility HL look$ at the
l,i11,.m1i<1! a nd Pi..-::;s,.111 1.fo,L1iiJuLi,.11w d ~ i9 aiw-, dal.:1 ,:~ 1'=1,: tiu a m-.,1.ff1,.1d~. l1=sls (,;.1 1 'o'li<1b i ily
and validity. hypoth~sis test inq a1'd confidence int ~rvals.
Ihe ,alculu$ SL looks ,;it difforc-nticcion induding analysing graplf <al behavior oi
1i.m1·.rku,-. .-1rv.t riptiini._,, tkm , !1;;in9 ;;impl.,. hltf!~Jr:"1tion ,ind t h* h ,, p ,,.,·1Jrn/t r,, p ~;.iicl,1I nil~ to
Hl looks al: kiri.-11k1li: " ;1111 I I,w : Iic<!I
I,rd ,~.,ms i11'!0J,..-, 1u w1.,.., of , h;111!Jf>!, volutf't'.S of , _.._., i1111i1,11, ....;1lin!J up nnd -..: ,h:iu!J m m i..-1"
i :,1l<l1tn1.- m "'" " u l i11<'~111l<!t s!mp+.!:;;. Th., calculus
i11,; ,.1h, i11$;- d illo:>1'=1111i<1I ;.oq ualious •.1i>t11q nu m-.,1i1.d a n d a11alyliL· m 'o'lh,.-...ts. s!~ p .,o li,..!d s,
coupled and $C-C01'd-ordcr difff.'rcntial cquatic M in rontc<<t
All the a b ove s hou ld be consid e red as a work in p rogress a nd may o r may n ot reflect
t he mat eria l which \·.rill fi n ally a ppear· in t h e g uides.